She sang in public for the first time in a radio contest at the age of ten. She didn't win that year, but won the next year. Her early singing caught the attention of a movie producer who introduced her to the cinema audiences as "Ana Belen" in the movie "Zampo y Yo" when she was thirteen.
Ana didn't want to become a child-star and focused on her studying. It wasn't until she finished drama school that she went back performing in public, being theater her prefered way to do so. She did small incursions in movies till she was offered major parts.
In 1973 she was cast opposite Víctor Manuel in Morbo and he became her husband as well as the composer of the songs included in her first album. In 1982 she released "Ana en Rio", an album with Brazilian music that included the song "Balance" and became an instant hit.
In 1986, took one more step and became one of the first female movie directors in Spain with the movie "Cómo ser mujer y no morir en el intento" which earned her the Gold Medal of Spanish Cinematographic Academy. That year concluded with another major success, a tour with Victor Manuel and many special guests of which they released a live album: "Mucho mas que dos". The success of this tour lead to a new one, "El Gusto es Nuestro" with Miguel Rios, Joan Manuel Serrat y Victor Manuel.
She releases several albums through the 90's that achieve great success like "Veneno para el Corazon" that included Spanish versions of Cole Porter songs among others, "Mirame" full of duets with the most important Spanish voices or "Lorquiana", a double CD with popular songs and poems of Federico García Lorca.
The new century finds her busy with filming and recording songs. Albums "Peces de Ciudad" or "Viva L'Italia" are released as she appears on stage plays and her name is on some of the most acclaimed films of the moment.
In 2006, she is currently touring with her husband Víctor Manuel across Spain with "Una Cancion me Trajo Aqui", a CD+DVD has been released of their very first performance in Segovia.She also has a new album in the works and a new movie pending.
De Esquina a Esquina
Ana Belén Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Se perseguían por las ciudades
Sobre la gente, por las cornisas
Era el pan nuestro de cada día.
A cal y canto por los barrancos
A pleno grito como una campana que pidiera auxilio.
Él la llamaba mas presentía
Se golpeaban, les separaban
Y al otro día no pasaba nada.
Tenían amigos que les leían
Aquellas cartas que algún conocido les escribiría.
Nunca pusieron ninguna vela a santa Lucía
Ni una novena aunque la esperanza estaba consumida
Porque los días fueron llenando con la bebida
Atrás quedo su juventud cuando aún podían esperar.
Eran violentos en sus encuentros
Cuando no había nadie cerca de ellos.
Con los bastones con puños luego
Mientras se insultan a cara de perro.
Se acuchillaron medio borrachos
Después de haber tomado una ración de gambas mano a mano
The lyrics of Ana Belén's song "De Esquina a Esquina" are about two lovers who chased each other through the cities, from corner to corner and shore to shore. They would often be seen running over people's rooftops, as if trying to escape from something. Violence was a part of their love; they fought, separated, and then were back again the next day. Their friends read their letters for them because they could not be in the same room without starting a fight.
The song implies that their love was never meant to be, as they suspected that there was someone else in each other's lives. They never prayed or hoped for anything, not even when everything seemed lost. Instead, they drank their days away, and that became their routine. They were once young and could hope for something better, but now, they were stuck in their violent relationship. They were desperate, and it led them to a sorrowful end where they stabbed each other while drunk.
Line by Line Meaning
De esquina a esquina, de orilla a orilla
They chased each other from one corner of the city to the other, from one side to the other.
Se perseguían por las ciudades
They chased each other through the cities.
Sobre la gente, por las cornisas
Even over the heads of people, on the edges of buildings.
Era el pan nuestro de cada día.
This was their daily bread.
A cal y canto por los barrancos
Shouting at the top of their lungs across the ravines.
A pleno grito como una campana que pidiera auxilio.
Screaming as if a bell were calling for help.
Él la llamaba mas presentía
He called her, but also had a feeling there was another man in her life.
Que había otro hombre en medio de su vida.
That there was another man in the middle of their relationship.
Se golpeaban, les separaban
They would hit each other, and then be separated by others.
Y al otro día no pasaba nada.
And the next day, nothing had changed.
Tenían amigos que les leían
They had friends who would read to them.
Aquellas cartas que algún conocido les escribiría.
Those letters that someone they knew would write.
Nunca pusieron ninguna vela a santa Lucía
They never lit a candle for St. Lucia.
Ni una novena aunque la esperanza estaba consumida
Not even a novena, despite their lost hope.
Porque los días fueron llenando con la bebida
Because their days were filled with alcohol.
Atrás quedo su juventud cuando aún podían esperar.
Their youth was behind them, when they still had hope.
Eran violentos en sus encuentros
Their encounters were violent.
Cuando no había nadie cerca de ellos.
Especially when no one else was around.
Con los bastones con puños luego
They would grab their canes with fists.
Mientras se insultan a cara de perro.
While they insulted each other with mean faces.
Se acuchillaron medio borrachos
They stabbed each other while being somewhat drunk.
Después de haber tomado una ración de gambas mano a mano
After sharing a plate of shrimp together.
Contributed by Madison Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
jean
on Nana de Sevilla
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